Daytona Speedway Bans Smoking

In a rather surprising turn of events, and one that could go a long way towards NASCAR reshaping its image, smoking has been banned at Daytona Speedway. The grandstand and hospitality areas of the speedway are receiving no smoking signs, a rule that will be strictly enforced. The whole point of the smoking ban is to make the environment not only more family friendly, but more enjoyable to those who are there simply to watch the race.

Part of the reason why this may be somewhat confusing to some NASCAR fans is the fact that the brand has been somewhat synonymous with smoking for some time. It may be somewhat jarring for some, in fact, that they are seemingly detaching themselves from their image. One of the things about the change, however, is that it was decided to enact the ban based on feedback of visitors of the speedway. This means that it was decided on because of the fans and not because of any imposing on the part of the state.

Whether or not this has any real impact on the number of people who visit the speedway remains to be seen. But those who are looking to get a smoke break while at the speedway are certainly in for a disappointment.